


How to care for your Pearl

by DreamingOfStarrySkies



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Dehumanization, Power Dynamics, Power Imbalance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:21:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21732160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingOfStarrySkies/pseuds/DreamingOfStarrySkies
Summary: Congratulations on your new pearl! Here’s a handy little guide on how to deal with the trials and tribulations of your new toy!
Comments: 12
Kudos: 92





	1. Introduction

Well my, aren’t you the lucky one? Only the most privileged and high status gems could ever dream of owning a pearl.   
A pearl is a custom servant, created solely for the purpose of fulfilling your every desire. A pearl is the epitome of beauty and grace, and if treated right, should last you decades. However, it may seem life-like, but pearls are not real gems, they are simply moving objects: functional ornaments.   
A pearl should not have emotions outside of what their owner has programmed and if they appear to do so, the pearl will be marked defective and dealt with accordingly (more on how to do so in chapter seven)   
This guide will take you through ownership of your new pearl and attempt to answer any questions or problems you may have. Please read this guide carefully before activating your new pearl as your warranty will not cover damage made from carelessness.


	2. Preparing Your New Pearl

Pearls are designed to be easily customisable to whatever an owner needs. When you first get your pearl these are the steps you should follow:   
Before you activate your pearl, you should first check the stone. The stone should be smooth all over, spherical, and white. If your pearl is not any of these things, you may take it back to the factory it was made from for a full refund.   
Place the stone onto a smooth, dry surface. Your pearl should form immediately, but in rare cases can take up to an hour. Any longer and your pearl may be defective or damaged.   
When your pearl forms, it will not happen like it would for a real gem.  
Instead of simply forming, your pearl will first ask you to identify yourself. Whatever name you give will be the name your pearl will use to refer to you. Be clear and don’t ‘um’ or ‘ah’ about it.   
You will be then asked what customisation option you would like. State your gem type and your pearl will be able to form in a way that compliments your needs and gem colouring. At this point you may also choose hair and clothing style, by selecting from the options your pearl will give you.   
Hair:   
You may select:   
short, mid length, long  
Curly, wavy or straight.   
Clothing:   
A pearl should be dressed simply, so as to not hinder it from any jobs it may undertake, but the costume should be elegant, as a pearl should above all else be beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments! I didn’t want to include too many authors notes as I thought it could detract from the format but I probably will every few chapters or so. I’m always up for any criticism and I‘ll try to respond to your comments when I remember, but I’m lowkey stupid so I probably will take a while.


	3. Preparing your home for your new pearl

Pearls are notoriously fragile and easy to crack. Whilst some gems have experienced positive results in using methods such as smacking or whipping their pearl as negative reinforcement if their pearl makes a mistake, be careful not to go too hard as it could cause damage to the stone which could result in reduced efficiency. If your pearl ends up damaged, refer to chapter six. 

Preparing your home for your new pearl:   
Preparing your house:   
A pearl is designed to be low maintenance with no wants or needs so it does not require anything like a bed. However, many previous and current pearl owners recommend that you clear a small space in an infrequently used room where your pearl may stand when it is not in use so as to not be a bother to you.   
Other pearls:   
A pearl will not be as effective in a house with another pearl, so if you are considering buying a newer pearl, you will first have to decommission your old one first.


	4. Features of your new pearl

A pearl may be fully customisable, but every pearl is equipped with a variety of different features, each designed to help their owner out. A pearl will not be able to use these features unless ordered, meaning it’s wise to know what your new pearl can do.   
Holographic memory:   
Each pearl is created with perfect recall and if you give your pearl a date at time it will be able to holographically show you what it- and by default you- was doing at that particular time.   
Storage: A pearl has no weapon to take up space in their stone and thus has an almost unlimited storage capacity. You can ask your pearl to hold anything in their stone and they will oblige. This is an especially good feature for gems who like to travel around.   
Shapeshifting: similarly to gems, a pearl has the ability to shapeshift, although as a pearl is not a gem in its own right it has the unique ability to change not just shape but colour, although sadly any attempt at this appears muted and pale. Experimentation to combat this defect is currently underway but whilst we can make the pearls appear more vibrant, this seems to be at a loss of any storage capacity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah.. this Is not the.. best


	5. A pearl’s appearance

A pearl is like an accessory, and similar to an item of clothing it should be changed once in a while, to avoid boredom. If you do not have the funds to get a new pearl, you can simply change your old one’s appearance. 

To do this, you must first instruct your pearl on what you wish it to look like and then your pearl must retreat to it’s stone. 

There are a variety of different ways to do this, but the most commonly reported method is to hand the pearl a knife and order it to stab itself. Perfectly formed pearl’s should not feel pain or fear and whilst it can be ordered to retreat back to it’s stone, that method will result in a longer reformation time.   
Using the first mentioned method includes the possible side effect of your pearl appearing to be shaking for the next day or so, but it will still be able to perform it’s duties accurately and some owners have found success in simply asking it to stop doing so.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5: Damaged vs defective   
There’s a lot of misinformation going round, suggesting that all damaged pearls are defective, or all defective pearls are damaged. However, they are not the same thing at all. A damaged pearl may have a cracked gem, but for a defective pearl, it is more like a cracked mind   
Damaged:  
The most noticeable sign of a damaged pearl is of course a crack on their stone, almost similar to real gems, but you may also notice a pearl glitching or simply not being responsive to orders. It may appear to flinch away if you attempt to touch it got whatever reasons and it could be slower to understand your orders.   
These changes may come on gradually, or all at once depending on how the pearl was damaged. In extreme cases, these cracks could make their way onto a pearl’s light form. Chapter 6 will discuss what to do if damage occurs.   
Defective:   
A defective pearl is much more dangerous. Certain defective pearls may be able to blend in for a while, but problems will always come out eventually. Certain gems have suggested that there could be a way to make a pearl defective, even after forming, but this simply isn’t true. Although we can not pinpoint where yet, a defective pearl’s problem is always to do with the stone. Whilst we are working on a cure, little progress has been made.   
A defective pearl, unlike a damaged pearl, will lash out and attempt to fight it’s owner like some sort of Ruby. It may refuse to do certain tasks if it decides so. However the biggest problem with a defect is that it will act as if emotional, laughing or crying even without the influence of Blue Diamond. No matter how small the defect may appear to be, imperfect pearls may not be allowed to exist and must be dealt with immediately. Information on how to do this will be in chapters 7.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait lol... I’ve had the next three chapters written for ages but no motivation to post them which is big sad.. expect a new one tomorrow and the day after :)) Comment what you think if you have time, any kind of review is amazing, even if it’s negative or short because I don’t know if anyone has any opinion whatsoever on this work lol.


	7. Dealing with a Damaged pearl

Dealing with a damaged pearl: 

Sadly, we have no such resources suitable for dealing with damaged pearls available to the public. A damaged pearl may be able to function and perform tasks for a few more years, but as soon as any cracks on the stone appear, your pearl is on borrowed time. 

The best thing to do after noticing damage is to contact the factory that created your pearl. The pearl’s form will then be dissipated and the stone will either be recycled and used to power machines or create more pearls or experimented on in order to create a more detailed understanding on how pearls work and used to develop further features for new pearls. 

This is truly the kindest thing you could do and if it could, your pearl would thank you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I was like.. yeah I’ll probably update tomorrow... oops..  
> Sorry I literally have no excuse. The chapter was written and edited I just couldn’t get the motivation to actually post it up for a while.


	8. Dealing with a defective Pearl

If a defective pearl is found, it must be shattered immediately. If you even suspect your pearl of not being quite right, contact the factory it was made at a with no hesitation whatsoever. Compassion would never work on a defective pearl as they are little more than mindless beasts, no matter how well they can pretend otherwise. In rare cases, defective pearls have been found to have weapons in their stones! 

Once shattered, the defective pearl will have to be contained or disposed of. The waste of resources is another thing that makes a defective pearl so heinous: the stone cannot be recycled and reused and no useful discoveries have ever been made from a defective pearl.

Above all else, remember that however emotional a defective pearl can seem, it is simply a malfunctioning machine. Any sympathy whatsoever can put you, and the controlled and exact structure of the glorious Diamond’s at risk.


End file.
